How to communicate? PO Day 117

We have so may ways to communicate in this modern world. We have cell phones, land lines, Voice over IP phones, and smart phones. There are faxes and email and Skype. We can even tweet. But instead of making life easier, it has just become more difficult to connect on a personal level.

When I have just taken the last pill in my bottle of " life and death medicine,"  I will rush to the phone to call my prescribing physician's office. I know the "call your pharmacy" routine but I am trying to speed thing up. Alas, the familiar recorded voice of the ubiquitous virtual telephone receptionist will answer. "If this is a medical emergency, please hang up and call 911." While I consider this an emergency, I am pretty sure the call screener at 911 would not. "Please listen closely as the menu has changed." The 'menu" never changes!  After listening closely to office hours, address and directions to the office and whether or not they close for lunch, I am finally presented with the menu, as if I am going to be offered a filet or salmon. "If this is a doctor's office, please press 1." I admit it, I've tried that and it has gotten me nowhere. "To schedule an appointment, please press 2." Hoping to raise a live person, I press 2, prepared to fib that I misunderstood. "You have reached the appointment desk of Mary Smith. I am away from my desk or helping another caller. Please leave a message and I will return your call as soon as possible." I just love the next part..."Please do not call again. Calling repeatedly will not result in speaking to someone sooner. In fact, it will delay a return call." If they were promptly returning my call I would not be tempted to call every thirty minutes!  Moving on in the menu: "If you are calling to refill a prescription, please hang up and call your pharmacy. Thank you and goodbye." I knew that but I needed to speak to someone! There are extenuating circumstances!

I want to say that no one answers their phone anymore but that is not true. The phones at work are not answered. Those same people, in the restaurant or in line at the post office or at their sister's wedding, will move heaven and earth to find their ringing phone in their purse or backpack and loudly acknowledge the caller to one and all. Would that the call to the doctor held the same importance as the call from the sister-in-law wanting to know who's hosting Thanksgiving this year. I wonder what would happen if we were able to acquire the personal numbers for the folks in the office to whom we need to speak. Maybe when we are completing that multi page "electronic medical record" form where it asks for OUR home phone and OUR cell phone and OUR work phone and OUR emergency contact's phone number, we could request THEIR cell phone numbers. What do you think they would say?

Just call me.


http://youtu.be/pchw3L-8ZbE

Archive timeline: 2014: May and June - preparing for surgery, July - surgery and post op problems, August - recovery and physical therapy, September - thinking medically, October--